Tips for Writing a Good Gallagher Fanfiction
by Sarcastically-32-Sweet
Summary: Spoilers don't read if you haven't read ALL or the Gallagher Girl books. Here are some tips for writing a Gallagher Girl fanfiction. Check it out there may be some surprising information.


**Hi Everyone I've read a lot of fanfiction Gallager Girl ones in specific and I've been thinking of doing this for a while. These are some tips to writing your Gallagher Girl fanfiction although some can be used for stories in general. Please don't take offense to any of these they are just some tips and things I've picked up from reading countless fanfictions and basically having no life. So hope they help! Oh plus I'm not Ally Carter and I don't own the Gallagher Girl series thought I'd just put this disclaimer in here just in case.**

** :** Cliches are the overused aspects of fanfiction and they can be extremely annoying. There make stories predictable and give the reader a sense of deja vu(at least that's what happens to me). Don't be offended or freak out if you use some cliches, there are some very good stories that use them. I can't say how many stories I've read with the same plot line below are some more common ones.

**After graduation Cammie is the headmistress and the others (Zach, Bex, Liz, Macey, Jonas, Grant):** This is a slightly less common cliché, however I have read a decent amount of stories where this happens. Usually they all get their teaching jobs right after graduation. The thing about this is, if you look closely the teachers are a retired agents,I don't know about you but I don't see this happening.

**Zach cheats on Cammie:** In my personal opinion I don't see this happening in the books, you don't follow a girl around, protect her, ask her to run away with you, and go crazy when she goes off the grid, if you're going to cheat on her.

**Love triangles:** everyone knows about these, Zach and Cammie are happily together a new boy/girl (often time Josh will be used as the boy Tina will be used as the girl) shows up and takes an intrest in Zach/Cammie and tries to break them up. Love triangles are over used! If you want relationship problems for Zach and Cammie try to find a new creative way to make them happen, or at least use original characters.

**Josh remembers everything and comes back a Blackthorne boy: **Let's give Josh a little credit, without him Zach and the Blakthorne boys would have never come to Gallagher in the first place, but the thing is this scenario has been over used and the likelihood of this actually happening in the books, not high.

**Blackthorne and Gallagher have an exchange: **I really don't see this happening either, as I am not nor ever will be Ally Carter I can't be positive, however I don't think there will be another Gallagher/Blackthorne exchange. I understand maybe wanting them to meet again, but try finding another way to do so, maybe on a mission a couple of the boys running from the Circle, just try to find a new way to mix the Gallagher girls and Blackthorne boys.

**-Main seven go on mission (Cammie, Liz, Bex, Macey, Grant, Jonas(OC's are often added to this as well)): **This has been done so many times that if you do want to send them on a mission try to make it different then going to a high school to watch some Circle agents or other criminal's children.

**Zach a player:** This is especially common in AU(alternate universe) fics when there are no spies.

** of commonly used words and names:**

Zach's name is spelled ZACH, not Zack not Zac, Zach with an 'H'

Blackthorne, again, not Blackthorn or Blackthrone

Macy's name is spelled with a 'Y' not an '-ie'

Napotine patches not nicotine patches

Roseville not Rosevelt, Rosewood, or Rosetown

** Joint Wedding:** Believe it or not yes there are some fics that include all four girls getting married. At the same time. Joint wedding very rarely happen in real-life I don't think Bex, Cammie, Macey, and Liz all want to get married at the same time, even if they are best friends. If you're trying to decide whether or not to the girls have a joint wedding, ask yourself this; would you want one?

** Exaggerations and OCC:** These happen in EVERY fanfiction. I can, in complete honesty, say that I have not read a single fanfiction in which the characters always act the way Ally Carter would have them act and this is completely forgivable seeing as none of the authors were Ally Carter (at least I don't think so...). Try to keep the characters as in character as possible. As for exaggerations well Macey may know a lot about fashion and cosmetics but this doesn't mean she always dresses the girls up and does their hair and make-up(there is even a part in Hope to Spy where "not caring that she was the only girl in the entire room without a trace of makeup" direct quote), and although she is rich it doesn't mean she has a billion cloths and drags the girls shopping to buy the each new wardrobes. Bex is very athletic , however she is not ridiculously violent and always threatening to beat people up. Now here is an amazing one that I'm not sure many people will believe but it's true I went back and looked; Zach really does not smirk that much in fact in Hope to Spy I counted the mention of Zach smirking a total of, wait for it, twice.

** Swearing:** I'm not saying that you absolutely can not have characters swear in your story, however I have read some stories where practically every third word was a swear word. If you are writing a serious story DO NOT do this, it makes the story in general seem less serious and more poorly written, plus it is very out of character for most of the characters in the books to talk like this.

** :** Yes Tina gets her own little category because I've always been irritated as to how she is depicted in stories. Often times she is the bad guy always trying to break up Zach and Cammie to get Ach for himself when in reality (or well the books) she is a gossipy spy that really cares about her sisters.

** Switching:** Switching POV's can defiantly make a story interesting, but make sure to make the change in POV clear otherwise it just makes everything confusing. I suggest making the writing in bold when announcing a POV change. (POV stands for point of view for anyone who doesn't know)

** and Grammar:** I am not a Grammar Nazi( no offense intended basically means people who a really obsessed with correct grammar and spelling), but when the grammar and spelling are so bad that the story in nearly impossible to read, you should think about getting a Beta(an editor). Also do not use text talk, it is incredibly annoying trying to decipher an entire story that is written like this: omg its 2morro *$ & im exctd cu ther. Annoying right?

** :**There isn't a whole lot known about the characters backgrounds but there are some common mistakes.

Cammie's grandparent's live in Nebraska, not Nevada or Texas or Illinois.

Cammie's dad's name is Matthew Morgan, her Aunt Abby's name is Abigail Cameron

Matthew Morgan went MIA during Cammie's 6th Grade year

Zach's mom's name is Catherine

Bex's parents are Abe and Grace Baxter

Macey's parents are named James and Cynthia

** Boys:** The Blackthorne boys were only in CMH, not really counting OGSY, so not much is known about them.

Grant and Jonas's last names are unknown although Newman in popular one for Grant and Anderson and Jones are popular for Jonas.

Nick is Not in the story, he is not a character created by Ally Carter he is simply an OC popularly used in fanfictions.

** Cammie:**Possibly one of the most annoying things an author can do is to make a character a Mary-sue(overly perfect character, beautiful, good at everything annoyingly perfect, has no flaws). Stay away from these at all costs they make stories unrealistic and often times boring. Cammie is a chameleon she blends in although she is probably prettier than she gives herself credit for she isn't going to knock people out with her beauty. Also Cammie may be a good spy but she would not last in a fight if it was 100 against one. Be realistic people Mary-Sue's are not good to have in a story(neither are Gary-Stu's).

** Fanfictions:** Au fics are becoming increasingly popular in the Gallagher archives. I have read a lot of very good ones, however they can also become boring or eventually tie back into the spy genre if the author isn't careful. These fics can also be repetitious and difficult to conclude so be careful.

** :** In general stories can be hard to write, I have written some that I haven't posted so I know. Try to update once a month at least so your readers know you aren't giving up on the story. Don't post a bunch of chapters at once instead pace yourself putting up one chapter at a time so that if you can't write one week you will have something to post. Also if you do stop the story or put it on Hiatus(a pause in writing) be sure to tell your readers! Don't just leave it untouched without at least warning readers that you are taking a break or will not be continuing!

**So that is all I have I hope this helps in your writing process. Please don't be offended by any of this and if you have any problems PM me . These ARE NOT rules, they are more like guidelines to help you write your fanfiction so you can listen to all, none, or some if you want. Have anymore you want me to add PM me and I'll add it. Thanks!**

**~D~**


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